Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy
Vietnam-era M42 Duster installed at Forgotten Veterans' Memorial 032619
Vietnam-era M42 Duster installed at Forgotten Veterans' Memorial 032619
Rep. Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez holds up the information packet on the self-propelled M42 Duster gun
Vietnam-era M42 Duster installed at Forgotten Veterans' Memorial 032619
The Duster on the trailer
Vietnam-era M42 Duster installed at Forgotten Veterans' Memorial 032619
Those gathered to welcome the Duster to the Bataan Park Forgotten Veterans' Memorial. They include, not in order, Tuddie Chacon, David Pratesi, Paul Madrid, José Ray, Jason Ray, Rep. Rudy Martinez and Rep. Harry Garcia, Demesio Torres and Eric Sanchez and Danny from the town of Silver City maintenance, and Alex Candelaria.
Vietnam-era M42 Duster installed at Forgotten Veterans' Memorial 032619
A front-loader driven by one of Silver City's maintenance personnel, edges the Duster off the trailer and pulls it backward down the lane to the pad where it was installed.
The New Mexico National Guard donated an M42 Twin 40mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) vehicle, called a "Duster," from the Doña Ana Range, thanks to efforts of three Vietnam veterans, who are also New Mexico state representatives.
They include District 39 Rep. Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez, local Vietnam veteran; District 69 Rep. Harry Garcia, Vietnam Marine veteran; and District 6 Rep. Eliseo Alcón, Disabled veteran.
Martinez and Garcia were on hand for the delivery of the Vietnam-era vehicle. Garcia, using his own company's semi and trailer picked up the vehicle in Doña Ana County and delivered it to the Forgotten Veterans' Memorial at Bataan Park on Fort Bayard Road.
"I've been having conversations with the New Mexico Army and Air National Guard to get a tank, used in Vietnam for our park here in Grant County," Martinez said. "I've been arguing with the general for three years, but Brigadier Gen. Nava and Gen. Aguilar were helpful in getting the tank donated to us."
Martinez said Garcia is his office mate at the Legislature. "He offered to use his rig and trailer to pick up and deliver the tank to us. Silver City maintenance personnel are running the front loader to get it off the trailer and down the narrow passageway to where it will be installed."
David Pratesi, Vietnam Veteran, who regularly works at the park maintaining the plants and keeping everything trimmed, weeded and pruned, said a concrete slab had been poured for the tank.